Into the Wilderness

Kia’s latest and youngest SUV, the Sonet meets some of the wild marvels of nature

- VISHAL JADHAV

We are calmly waiting in the middle of nowhere, and there are still a few minutes left for the sun to rise. It is too much of an early setting for our comfort but this was not any other day and the location was far away from our homes. What were we doing, you ask? Kia Motors recently launched its third product in India, the Sonet, which is the youngest in the company’s portfolio and yet offers most of the bells and whistles also seen in the flagship offerings. We decided to experience all of that by embarking on an adventurous road trip in the Sonet. The adventurous bit was not just about putting the Sonet into unknown territories but also about our company and guide for this trip, internationally acclaimed ace wildlife filmmaker Vishal Jadhav. The idea behind this trip was to take a detour from the comforts of urban life and track some of the wild and interesting creatures that nature has to offer.

And to do that, we set off from Pune to a city called Jejuri in Maharashtra, known for attracting a large number of devotees to the famous Lord Khandoba temple. But in addition to that, the humble city is also one of the most interesting locations for wildlife enthusiasts, offering frequent sightings of foxes, wolves, hyenas and eagles.